Mix-Matched Rebel
by Moon'sMistress
Summary: "Look at me." Hebony demanded, and as if on instinct I listened. "The best way to get through this is to latch onto a memory, any of the happiest memories you have, and hold onto it tightly to it to forget about the pain. And no matter what you do. Don't tell them anything." She spoke... I could do this. For Deamon. Rated M for Future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

I only own the plot and my OCs.

~Hebony~

Darkness wrapped me in a blanket of remembrance as my brain tried to escape the painful prison it was currently locked in. Pain sprinkled the dessert of my flesh as they wrapped another band of onyx around my torso.

"Where are they?" A man shouted next to my ear as fire ignited in my veins and my heart fluttered painfully in my chest.

"Eat shit." I wheezed as a fist connected with my jaw and my body jarred against the onyx bands, sending lighting streaks of pain through every living cell of my mortal shell. Pictures rapidly flashed before my closed eyes and I fought to latch onto one. There. I grit my teeth as I fought the blurriness of the memory. Its one of my favorites. The moment that my life changed forever.

~Flash back~

Cold wind slaps my face with the discipline of an unforgiving mother. Ashamed, I assume, by the fact that I'd once again stollen from Old Hickory's general store. It wasn't that I liked to steal, but a girl had to eat somehow.

"Someone stop that girl!" A cop shouted as I raced through the crowded streets my small slim build making it easy for me to dodge grabby hands and soar off to safety. I'm not sure who managed to snatch me up, but I knew their hands were firm but warm and comforting.

"Quit struggling." A rumbling voice snapped as I tried to wiggle myself out of his grip. "I'm try to help you silly girl." I stopped struggling, only because I was curious, and not because I was afraid that this stranger would actually hurt me. My heart picked up its rhythmic pattern as the heavy footfalls of the cops rushed by us. Of course to the untrained eyes, it looked as if this stranger were hugging me gently, which, I suppose, was my saving grace. Once the cops were gone, I twist myself around so that I could look into the eyes of my rescuer. He was superbly handsome, with eyes the color of a clear afternoon sky, and hair like bitter sweet chocolate that fell in soft waves just above his eyes. His skin was sun kissed as if he'd spent many hours at the beach.

"Who are you?" I snapped without really meaning too, but I wasn't accustomed to being nice. He raised an eyebrow before an easy laugh escaped his lips and amusement twinkled in his eyes.

"My name is Bane Wynter. You?" He asked as he stuck out his hand. I looked at him for a moment, trying to decide if he had some underlying scheme, but could only find genuine kindness.

"Hebony." I replied with a semblance of a smile that I hoped didn't come off as 'go crawl in a hole and die' like most of my other looks did.

"No last name? Parents?" He asked. I shrugged before I shook my head no.

"My parents died when I was three and if I have a last name, the ladies at the orphanage didn't see it fit to tell me." He gave me that dreaded pity look before his eyes brightened once more.

"Come on." Bane laughed before he took my hand and I followed him down the street.

~End Flashback~

I was ripped from my thoughts by a bucket of icy water being thrown in my face and the bands of onyx being removed.

"What now captain?" A masculine voice asked as I cleared the icy water from my eyes.

"Leave her. We'll see how she's fairing when she's been without food for a few days." He chucked. I opened my eyes to find Captain Remshaw smiling like the evil bastard he was. His hands folded across his portly belly and a gleam in his muddy brown eyes.

"You'll tell us eventually." He commented before the doors were opened and two men were dragging a girl, who appears to have past out, between them.

"What do we do with her sir?" The men asked Remshaw as he looked her over.

"Throw her in the cage next to this one. We'll see if the girl is easier to break." Remshaw laughed before they roughly dropped the girl into the cage next to mine and slammed the door shut.

"I'll be seeing you Wynter." Remshaw laughed before his men and he exited the room. I looked over and noticed the girl appeared to be having a bad dream. How the hell she managed to sleep during all of this was beyond me. She wasn't obnoxiously gorgeous like Luxen girls, which meant she was like me, a hybrid. Her dark hair curled around her face and mostly hid the bruise that was beginning to blossom on her cheek. Her skin was lightly tanned which meant she must have only just been brought here.

"Daemon." She whimpered as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. My heart ached for her, and a growl rumbled in my chest but I was to tired to keep it up.

"I love you." She cried.

"Damn." I sighed as my mind seemed to involuntarily make itself up. It was decided that I had to help this girl. What had I gotten myself into?


	2. Chapter 2

I only own the plot and my OCs

~Katy~

I awoke to the feeling that something wasn't right, and the sensation of being cold and very hungry. That's when all the current events slammed into my brain full force. We'd broken into Mount Weather with the help of Blake. We'd rescued Chris and Beth. We'd been set up, and I had been captured. I had been separated from Daemon Black. My other half.

"You're not an Arum are you?" An almost lilting voice with the hint of rawness spoke up from beside me. I turned to find a girl sitting in the middle of her cell. Her curled hair pooled around her like liquid obsidian and curled bangs kept her face covered. She had been scantly clad with only a strip of cloth to cover her precious parts and red bands marked most of her body. I noticed the familiar marks, for I had matching ones on my wrist. The pain she must have went through...

"No, I'm a hybrid." I admitted, seeming as it didn't matter much. She nodded as if I'd confirmed what she already knew before she positioned herself so that she was facing me.

"What's your name and where are you from?" She asked before she pushed her hair from her face and looked up at me. The girl was very beautiful, almost equal to a Luxen. Her skin hinted at once being a beautiful tan but was paled without sunlight, what intrigued me most were her wide almost innocent looking eyes. The left was a bright shimmering gold while the right was a deep everlasting green. She raised her eyebrow and it was only then that I registered that she was talking to me.

"Katy Swartz. West Virginia." I replied, figuring it was best not to bother her with the fact that I'd moved from Florida to West Virginia where I'd met a boy who changed my life. Well, not a boy per-say, but an alien who looked enough and felt enough like a boy for it to count.

"I'm guessing you know the Blacks then?" She sighed. "I thought the name Daemon sounded familiar." Something about the way she said it made it seem as if she wasn't overly found of Daemon and his family.

"Yes." I answered simply. She narrowed her eyes before she got on all fours and crawled over closer to the cage, seeming to study me closely.

"He healed you?" She asked, though the question was more of a statement, like she already knew the answer, but I had to defend him any.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I lied, and she must have sensed it because a wispy laugh drifted past her lips.

"You can lie to them. Makes no difference to me, and I would actually encourage you to lie, it might keep you and the Blacks alive. But you cannot lie to me." She commented as a hint of a smile pulled at her rosy lips.

"You haven't told me who you are." I spoke up, trying to steer the conversation away from Daemon. I still wasn't sure if I could trust her or not. A glint of approval flashed in her eyes before she leaned back on her elbows and studied me.

"Hebony Layla Wynter from Layfette, Louisiana at your service." She announced with a flourish of hand movements. I couldn't help the laugh that betrayed my depressed mood.

"It's good to laugh you know. It'll keep you sane in this miserable place." She explained as she rubbed at the marks on her stomach.

"You have more marks than I've seen on a person before." I commented. She smiled widely this time as if her marks were an accomplishment.

"I'm a bigger pain in the ass that most." She explained happily. I wanted to comment further, but the sound of voices getting closer stopped the breathe in my throat.

"They're coming to torment, I mean, question you." Hebony spoke quickly as her eyes darted towards the door. Tears burned inside of my closed eyes as I thought back to what onyx felt like.

"Look at me." Hebony demanded, and as if on instinct I listened.

"The best way to get through this is to latch onto a memory, any of the happiest memories you have, and hold onto it tightly to it to forget about the pain. And no matter what you do. Don't tell them anything." She spoke, her voice low and dangerous. I didn't trust my voice to speak, so I settled for nodding. I had to do this; for Daemon.


	3. Chapter 3

~Bane~

Anger and sadness battle for a place in my heart and mind as I raced along the road towards my last chance at saving my little sister. I tried not to imagine the pain she must be in, the sounds of her screams for me to help her as the Arum swooped in and swallowed her up in the darkness, her eyes wide with fear as she stretched her hands out for me, but I was not fast enough, not strong enough to save her.

"Have faith brother, we'll get her back." My sister, Belle, spoke reassuringly as she placed her hand on shoulder, her blue eyes watery with unshed tears. I tried to take her words to heart but my mind kept replaying her capture like a bad rerun.

"What if they don't help?" Brian, my brother, growled from the far side of the truck as we were jolted by a hole in the road. He had taken the capture of our younger sister harder than I'd thought he would, his once outgoing nature turning hard and dangerous.

"Don't think that way Brian. They will help us. They have too." Belle whispered as a tear trickled down her flushed cheek.

The road seemed to stretch on for eternity, my longing to reach our only hope finally met when we pulled into the driveway of a house that had seen better days. My heart pounded in my chest as we climbed out of the truck, my heart demanding I barge in and demand help while my brain pleaded that I think through a plan before I did something foolish. It wasn't my life at stake.

"Do we just walk in?" Belle asked as she grabbed my arm, Brian following close behind us. Our question was answered when a group of Luxen walked onto the porch. A beautiful girl with long black hair and bright green eyes walked down the steps and stood before us, arms crossed.

"What do you want?" She asked, her face hard as she stared at us. I tried to speak but found that my words were caught in my throat causing me to just stand there dumbly. Belle seemed to notice because she stepped forward, her hands fiddling with the hem of her snug fitting purple top.

"Please, the Daedalus took our sister. We need your help." She plead, her voice watery as tears leaked from her wide eyes onto her flushed cheeks. I watched as the green eyed beauty's face softened slightly and she turned to look at identical boys that stood beside each other on the porch.

"Come inside." One of them spoke before the group turned and walked back into the house. I silently prayed to whoever was listening that they would help us.

~Andrew~

I watched with mild disinterest as the triplets plead their case before us. Apparently, their adopted hybrid sister, Hebony, was kidnaped by the Arum while she was having a midnight swim in a lake not far from their house. They heard her scream but arrived just in time to see her being swallowed by the shadows. The girl, Belle, was beside herself as she clung her brother, Brian, tears streaming down her face as he stared with emotionless eyes. Bane seemed to be the spokes person for their group as he did most of the explaining.

"She's been gone for almost three months." Bane explained as he took a picture from his wallet and placed it before us. Against my better judgment, I looked down at the picture. The girl in the picture was standing beside a painted mare, her black hair tumbled in curls to her knees and curtained a tanned face that was flushed with excitement. Her sloping curves were hidden beneath a sung fitting burnt orange shirt and denim vest while tight blue jeans rode low on her rather wide hips and were tucked into brown boots. I noticed an obsidian necklace hung just above a sliver of cleavage and matched the black feather earrings she wore. The odd thing about her and what drew my attention were her eyes. The right one was the color of fresh forest leaves while the left was the color of molten gold.

"They took my soul mate as well." Daemon spoke softly as his face contorted in anger. We'd been through this song and dance routine ever since we came back from Mount Weather where that slimy bastard Blake betrayed us, but we'd yet to do anything, because truthfully, we had nowhere to begin.

"Why should we help them? Don't we have enough problems on our plate without adding their's to it?" Ash spoke out angrily as she pushed herself up from the couch and glared at the triplets. Belle cried harder at Ash's words earning a glare from the Brian, but it would seem that Bane had also thought this through.

"We only ask for assistance. If you help us, we can help you in return." Bane spoke up as he offered her a soft smile, though his eyes kept drifting back to Dee who seemed to be thinking things over as she sat next to the silent Dawson.

"What do you have to offer?" Ash snapped as she crossed her arms and glared. I was surprised to see this kind of reaction from Ash. Though she could be a grade A bitch when she wanted, I'd never seen her try and turn away fellow Luxen.

"We know where she's being held and if Hebony is there, I'm willing to bet that your Katy is there as well." Bane answered, his eyes determined. I had to give a little respect to someone so dedicated to their family.

"What do you have to say about this Matthew?" I asked the older Luxen who was watching us all silently from the back corner of the room, his eyes shot with red from his nightly booze date.

"It's worth a try." Matthew spoke, but without the conviction he once had. No doubt our recent misadventures had drained him.

"Then it's decided, we'll plan tonight, you are welcome to stay with us." Daemon spoke before he pushed himself up from the table and shook hands with Bane and Brian, before being hugged tightly by Belle.

"Thank you." She whispered before she rushed back into the arms of Brian who offered us a semblance of a smile. As they walked away, I noticed that Bane had left Hebony's picture on the table. I have no clue what forced my hand, but I found myself carefully picking up the picture and slipping it into my pocket.


	4. Chapter 4

~Katy~

Pain like I can't describe coursed through my veins as my mouth opened so wide my jaws ached, a silent scream echoing in my mind. I tried to follow Hebony's advice and grab onto a happy memory but my mind was to preoccupied with pain to focus properly.

"Where are they?" A man shouted as something pushed me, knocking my onyx bond wrist sending the pain shooting through my body once more. Tears rained down my face as I tried to keep my heart from exploding.

"Add another band!" Someone shouted, my chest ached and my mind screamed with the knowledge that more pain was about to be added. I think I heard myself pleading with them to stop but it fell on deaf ears.

"No!" I heard the raw voice of Hebony shout as I pried my eyes open to look at her. She appeared to be made of onyx. Only slices of her skin and her head showed from under the bands they'd wrapped around her, and yet she did not scream or cry. Her mix-matched eyes were hard as her jaw clinched through the overwhelming pain I knew she was in.

"No?" The portly man I knew to be Remshaw chuckled as he walked over and pushed against her cage, wobbling her body as she remained chained to the top of the cage. If looks could kill Remshaw would be stone cold dead.

"I'll take her onyx." She grunted as she steadied herself. A look of disbelief past his face before his lips curled into a cold smile.

"And why should I give her punishment to you?" He chuckled as a man brought out what looked like a waist belt of onyx. I tried to push past the fear that was beginning to ensnare my senses.

"Come on Remshaw. You know you love seeing me in pain, what's one more band for your pleasure?" She asked as she forced a smile. Remshaw thought about this for a minute before he smiled widely, a look of pure delight etched onto his face.

"Denis, bring out two bands for our lovely black hair beauty." Remshaw laughed. I turned my head from Remshaw to Hebony just into time to see a look of fear flash over her eyes but just as quickly as it was there, it was gone, replaced by a look of pure determination. My heart ached as I heard her grunts of pain as they clasped two more belts of onyx to her waist, her jaw clinching so tightly I thought it might break as her fingers bit into her palms so hard they drew droplet of blood that dripped down her wrist. I wanted to scream at her for being so stupid but I couldn't make my screams into words. My vision began to blur as the pain overtook my brain, as a last defense, my body shut down and I was dipped into darkness.

I awoke to the sound of a light moan close to my cage. My eyes snapped open and I was overwhelmed momentarily by the pain in my wrist, but I was able to push it down as I looked over to find Hebony laying curled into herself in the middle of her cage, her body shaking lightly. Angry red band marks covered her body as she began to hum to herself the melody was low and sweet, filling the air with comfort.

"Hebony." I called, my voice cracked with weakness. Her humming stopped as she attempted to push herself up from the floor, only to fail. After the fourth attempt, she managed to push herself into the seated position facing me, her hair once again covering her face. She was silent for so long that I feared the worst, but I breathed in a sigh of relief when she weakly lifted a hand and pushed the tangled mess of hair from her face. I gasped when I saw a crescent shaped mark on her cheek, just below her left eye as if she'd been branded, her face was deathly pale as she offered me a weak smile.

"How are you?" She croaked lightly, her voice raw, though I can't remember hearing her scream.

"Why did you do that?" I shouted without meaning to, tears burning in my eyes as I looked at her helplessly. She was quiet for a moment before she offered me another weak smile.

"I'm used to the pain Katy. If I can save you from it, then I will." She spoke, determination strong in her voice though it was raw with ache.

"Why?" I asked, my voice watery to my ears. She studied me for a few long minutes.

"You are the hope for us rebels." She answered tiredly as her eyes drifted closed and she carefully laid herself back down.

"You should rest while you can." She instructed before her breathing became long and steady with sleep. I laid down, praying to whoever was listening for release from the prison and thanking them for putting someone like Hebony into my life.


	5. Chapter 5

~Daemon~

The sound of my heartbeat thundered in my ears as I looked at the map under the dull glare of the flashlight, pushing past the fleeting image of pain that had overtaken me while I had been seated in the passenger seat of the black SUV we'd borrowed for tonight's mission. I knew the pain had been connected with Katy, and that drove my anger and made me even more determined to free her from her prison and kill anyone who stood in my way. My pain; however, had been nothing compared to what had overcome Bane, who'd been throw from his seat a throaty yell building deep in his throat and he rocked himself, tears leaking from his eyes. Belle had screamed for him to hold on as she cried, clinging to Brian as if she to would break if she let him go. I looked to him now, watching as his bloodshot eyes scanned the woods surrounding our meeting place, his dark brown hair hidden partly by the black beanie he was currently wearing, while Brian sported a black baseball cap. It had been decided that Dee, Ash, and Belle would stay behind incase anything went wrong. Belle only nodded before hugging her brothers tightly, making them promise to get her sister back, while Dee and Ash raged about how unfair it was.

"I'll need you here to gather reinforcements should things go south." I explained as Dee demanded she have a place among our team. I'm not sure what changed her mind, but she was quiet before she hugged me and went to stand my Belle, taking the crying girl's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze of reassurance.

"Are you sure you're up to it?" I asked Bane as he rubbed at his ribs as if afraid that phantom pain would return once more. He looked at me, as if really seeing me for the first time.

"Hebony and I are connected you know. I saved her after she'd been shot by a hunter. We're connected now. If the pain I felt was even close to what she's feeling... I have to save her." Bane spoke softly as he looked off into the distance. I didn't comment on the fact that his voice cracked or the fact that Brian took him off to the side for a moment and hugged him. It was a private brotherly moment that I didn't feel I was apart of.

"Are you ready?" Dawson asked as a frown pulled at his lips. His green eyes, an exact replica of my own, hard with knowing. It had not been so long since we had gotten him back from his prison, or his soulmate, Beth, away from hers.

"Let's go." I replied before we stepped up beside Matthew, Andrew and the Wynter brothers.

"Remember, we have 30 seconds to get past the guard and into the building, then fifteen before the camera will pick up our movements." Brian reminded us before he counted off.

"Go!" He shouted before our forms tranformed into our original light forms, and we were off.


	6. Chapter 6

~Hebony~

There is something almost peaceful about death. Something about the promise of no pain or suffering that almost made it worth it. I closed my eyes against the glare of spotlights that were shining in my face and thought back to a time when I was close to death; overcome by the feeling of carefree numbness.

~Flashback~

The wind caressed my face with gentle teasing fingers and tasted sweet against my lips as I ran through the woods, enjoying the crunching sound of leaves and broken twigs beneath my shoes as I leapt over logs and boulders, knowing that my siblings weren't far behind me. I was elected to be the rabbit and they the foxes that would chase me in an attempt to feed their ever hungry bellies. It was a game Belle has come up with to pass the time when there was no extra spending money and to much time on our hands. A smile pulled at my painted lips as I pushed myself to run faster; jump higher. My heart drummed in my ears as I reached the more dense part of the woods, hoping the extra trees would provide more places to hide and serve better to hide me as I nearly missed a branch to the face.

The sound of an explosion hit me before the feeling of a raging inferno erupted through my veins. The feeling of something wet soaked my sweater as something dripped onto the leaves below me. There was a fire in my abdomen as I put my hands to it, lifting it to find crimson paint... No, not paint.. My knees gave out and I collapsed onto the ground as my head grew heavy and my body took on a light airy feeling.

"No! Hebony!" I heard the shouting voice of my brother, Bane, but it was so distant. I barely felt it when he scooped me up in his arms and pressed something to my stomach. I smiled at him as he began to cry, his body glowing lightly as he attempted to heal me. I weakly lifted my hand and caressed his face, leaving behind a crimson decoration as Belle cradled my head, smoothing my hair away from my face while Brian puts his hands on Bane's shoulder, sharing his strength with him.

"It doesn't hurt anymore." I whispered as I tried to reassure him, a delicious numbness had taken over, leaving me feeling at peace. Tears rained harder down Bane's face as he hugged me to him, a gentle rocking motion nearly putting me to sleep. I was so sleepy.

"Don't you go to sleep Hebony. Don't you dare!" Belle shouted as someone shook my shoulders. I opened my mouth to tell her that I wasn't going to sleep, but something thick was clogging my throat preventing my words from going anywhere.

"Bane, do something! Please!" Belle wailed as my heart seemed to thunder a beautiful melody in my ears.

"Please don't leave us." Bane cried as something bright flashed behind my closed eyelids. I wanted to tell him that I wasn't going anywhere. That I merely needed a nap and I would be as good as new. I was so sleepy..

~End Flashback~

I was awoke from my daydreaming by the sting of fire rippling across my face, a grunt of pain passed my lips but I refused to scream as my lids snapped open and I glared at the overly excited new guy stepped back with an onyx tipped whip.

"We can do this all day black beauty." Remshaw laughed as he leaned back in a chair, arms folded.

"Bite me." I spat only to be rewarded by another stinging slap to the face, if I wasn't bond to this damn chair with onyx I'd kill that butt-smooching ass wipe.

"Don't tempt me." Remshaw purred before he stood up and walked over to a table hidden underneath a red blanket. He hummed off key to himself as he remove the blanket and busied himself with polishing something that was hidden from me.

"I've grown tired of your games my sweet. I need answers." He spoke calmly as he turned as showed me a wicked looking onyx blade attached to a bone white handle. I could feel my heart flutter in my chest as my breath caught behind the steel lump in my throat; a whimper passed my lips before I could stop it.

"The big boss is tired of waiting, so he suggested that I have a little creative fun. See, we need those aliens black beauty, and I think you know exactly where to find them." Remshaw chuckled as he walked steadily closer, twirling the deadly, yet beautiful blade in his hand.

"What are you going to do?" I asked in the most terrible of cliches, but I found I couldn't stop myself. Remshaw merely smiled at me as he stood before me, the smell of tobacco and something greasy clinging to him like a second skin.

" Make sure those straps are tight Henry." Remshaw instructed as the new guy bent down and tightened my bands even tighter. The onyx cut into my wrist sending shots of pain running through my body.

"Come on Remshaw. Don't do this." I plead as he pricks the end of his finger with the blade to test its sharpness. There was no denying that it would cut through me like a knife through warm butter.

"This may hurt a little." Remshaw laughed before the blade sliced through my arm.


	7. Chapter 7

~Katy~

Screamed echoed inside the silent metal room I was housed in. Her screams. Tears burned like acid in my eyes as I covered my ears and tried to block out the sound, but it had already done its purpose and bounced around inside of my skull. They'd taken her away almost an hour ago with the promise that if I kept my mouth shut, I wouldn't be next. I protested when they drug her weak form from her cage, but she yelled at me to be quiet, and I obeyed. Now I regret not doing something, though what I could have possibly done I don't know.

"Please hurry Daemon." I begged softly as another round of screaming took up note. I couldn't imagine what they must be doing to her to make her scream that way. Up until now, she did nothing but grunt a few times when bond in bands upon bands of onyx, never letting a tear drop. "Those pigs feed on pain. Wouldn't want them to get their jollies by hearing me beg for mercy." She quoted once when I asked how she managed to keep from crying. I'd never been the praying type of girl before. Not since my dad had died, but I soon found myself with hands clasped and head bowed.

"If anyone is listening, please hear me out. Hebony doesn't deserve what they're doing to her. Please, I'm begging you to make it stop. Deliver her from the hands of those slimy bastards." I prayed, but the only answer I received was a blood curdling scream.

"Help her damn it!" I screamed as tears rolled down my cheeks and I pounded the floor with closed fists. I stopped crying when I heard the sound of grunting coming from the far sound of the room and if someone were in pain. A frown pulled at my lips and fear coursed through my veins as something slammed into the door multiple times. I tried to calm my wildly beating heart as the door trembled under pressure before there was a shush noise of the locks opening.

"Kitten?" I heard that wonderfully familiar voice call as the or opened wider, and a god walked through the door complete with inky black curls and emerald green eyes.

"Daemon!" I cried hoarsely as I scooted closer to the cage, taking in the sight of Matthew, Andrew, and a set of twin boys.

"Kitten!" He shouted as she rushed to my cage, stopping within inches of touching it, tears of relief flowed from my eyes before another round of screaming bounded around the room. Daemon looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Hurry Daemon, they're killing her in there!" I urgently shouted as gripped my hair.

"Found it!" Andrew called as he pushed a series of buttons and the door to my cage opened. I flew into Daemon's arms, taking in familiar woodsy scent as he clung to me tightly, as if afraid to let me go. I kissed every inch of him that I could reach,the taste of his skin mixed with the salty taste of tears and he murmured soft foreign words in my ears.

"Where's Hebony?" One of the twins asked as he looked at me with glistening eyes the color of a bright afternoon sky. _Oh my god! How could I forget?_ I raged to myself as another round of screaming, more quiet than before sounded.

"Please don't tell me." He whispered as he looked to his twin.

"Hurry!" I shouted as the twins, Andrew, and Matthew took off towards the sound.

"Are you hurt?" Daemon asked as he looked me over, checking every inch of me his eyes could find.

"Not as badly as she is. You have to help her Daemon. She saved me." I begged as I pushed him towards the sound of the fight. He nodded before he took off after the others. I followed behind more slowly, my legs tingling with pinpricks and needles from having been cooped in that cage for so long. I arrived at the room just in time to see a flash of light the a black spot where I'm sure a man once stood.

"Oh my god." I gasped as I looked at Hebony who was cradled in the lap of a twin while the other cradled her head. Crimson blood oozed from wounds scattered all over her body mixed with the angry red marks of onyx bands. The crescent shaped mark on her face was an angry red as well as if freshly made. Her eyes were closed and her breathing labored as the twins glowed brightly in an attempt to heal her.

"They're not closing." The twin cradling her body cried out as he looked at us with fear in his eyes.

"We have to get her home. Come on!" Daemon shouted before the twin cradling her head slowly stood up while the other carried her with us._ Please let us save her. _I prayed silently before I was scooped up by Daemon and rushed outside.


	8. Chapter 8

~Andrew~

I waited, surprising myself by how anxious I was on some news of the beautiful dying girl currently laid out on the bed in a guest room upstairs. I found that I couldn't sit still, couldn't think straight, or eat.

"She's your sister then?" Katy asked as she sat cradled in Daemon's lap as the triplets paced together, wringing their hands and trying not to think the worst. It was Belle who stopped and studied Katy, as if sizing her up.

"Yes, she's been in our lives for almost twelve years now." Belle replied as she offered a weak semblance of a smile. Katy nodded as she got a distant look in her eyes.

"She was a saint of sorts while I was in there." Katy commented, catching the triplets off guard as they stopped and looked at her.

"What do you mean?" Brian asked as he folded his arms, his eyes hard but seemed to want to know more. Katy was quiet for a long stretch of time before she spoke again.

"She took on my bands of onyx. Bands that were meant to be mine. I thought she was so stupid for doing that, but I was grateful to her. She said that she would take my pain because she had grown use to it. No matter how much they put her through, she never said anything to them about any of you. She defied them every chance she got. She was a fighter." Katy explained as she offered them a smile. I found myself smiling as I fingered the picture that was still hidden in my pocket.

"That sounds like our little Hebony." Bane spoke with a proud smile before it feel and he was left hunched in on himself as if the world were crushing him, adding to the phantom pains he'd been plagued with on our way to rescue the girls.I remember the look as if he'd been stabbed etched on his face as we rushed to the prison room, his stumble as his jaw clinched tightly. I could never imagine that kind of pain.

"Our Hebony was always a free spirit. Always causing trouble, but never intentionally hurting anyone. She was the first to offer advice or a hug and a shoulder to cry on." Belle commented as she collapsed on the couch as if she couldn't stand with the wait of the world on her shoulders.

"She loved animals. I remember one time, she held up a line of traffic in order to help a turtle cross to the other side of the road." Brian laughed as he joined his sister.

"Or the time when she tried to break the animals out of the zoo after hours." Bane chuckled. I smiled as I pictured the beautiful girl rushing around the closed down zoo, unlocking cage after cage and running freely with the liberated fauna. We were all quiet before the sound of footsteps bounced on the stairs and Matthew entered the room, wiping his bloodied hands on a towel, his face drawn with exhaustion.

"How is she Matthew?" Dawson asked as he hugged his recently rescued girlfriend, Beth, close to him. Ever since we arrived back, he'd not let her out of his sight as if afraid she'd be snatched away from him again. Matthew looked at all of us before he sighed and went to the kitchen sink.

"I've done what I can. They cut her deeply with a Onyx blade. I've never seen something like that before. I healed what I could and sewed up what I couldn't. We'll have to wait and see if the fever passes. Once that happens, we should be in the clear." He replied, though he wouldn't meet our eyes when he spoke, as if that particular event was unlikely to happen.

"She'll make it. Our Hebony is a fighter." Belle stated as she offered us a weak smile, Bane and Brian nodded in agreement.

"She is welcome to stay in the room she is in. No doubt it would be foolish to move her right now, and you all of course are welcome to stay. Please let me know if there is any change." Daemon spoke before he lifted up Katy and took her upstairs.

"Lucky." I heard Ash mutter, but when I looked at her, she wasn't frowning as I had expected her to do. She merely looked resigned as if she no longer felt it necessary to try for Daemon's attention, much to my relief.

I awoke from a fitful sleep to the gentle snores of my sister who was currently sprawled across the single bed, surrounded in a cocoon of yellow blankets and pillows. I'd made a pallet of blankets and pillows on the floor to keep from having to go home. Everyone was anxious to see if the beautiful dying girl would live through the night. I found that I could not go back to sleep as pictures of her marked face flashed before my eyes. I reached for my pants and retrieved the picture of her from my pocket, running my fingers across a smiling face and imagining running my fingers through her silky hair. I sighed lightly before I pushed the blankets from me and slowly sat up, being careful not to wake my sister in the process of pulling on a shirt.

The hall was silent as I snuck from our room, my bare feet cool against the wooden floor. I allowed a tiny glow to leak from my hand to guide my path as I walked past closed door after closed door until I came to the white painted wooden door where I knew blocked her view from me.

"Come on." I encouraged myself as I carefully twisted the knob and pushed. The door opened with a soft squeak that seemed to shriek like a banshee in my head. I stilled and looked around to see if I woke anyone up; so far so good. I slipped into her room and gently shut the door behind me, rubbing my arms against the cool temperature change. I picked up the sound of her wheezing breaths as I made out the outline of blankets against the stream of moonlight filtering through the parted curtains. I walked over to the side of her bed quietly, taking a seat in the vacant chair set up beside a table with a bowl of cool water and a rag. I dipped the rag in the cool water and wrung it out before wiping the sweat away from her face, taking in the relaxed expression as her feverish skin was soothed. A smile pulled at my lips as I pushed a strand of hair from her face, enjoying the way her smooth skin felt underneath my fingertips. The bruise that had blossomed on her cheek was healed leaving behind only the crescent moon shaped brand just below her eye.

"You're siblings are worried about you." I commented as I fought not to touch her pouty red lips, settling for wiping her face with the cool rag again. She whimpered in her sleep as her eyes twitched.

"No need to worry. They'll be here when you wake up." I reassured softly as I ran gentle fingers down her exposed arm, biting back a growl as I noticed the stitches near her elbow. She stilled and her breathing evened back out.

"You don't know me, but my name is Andrew Thompson, I'm a Luxen like your brothers and sister. I have a sister named Ash. She's a pain but she's okay once you get to know her. I had a brother but he was killed. I'm 19 now, and graduated high school." I told her, not sure why I was bothering to talk to her, but not seeming to be able to stop myself.

"Your siblings said you loved animals. I do to. They don't talk and make stupid comments as much as people do. My favorite animal is wolf. Kind of cliche I suppose. There's just something about hunting with a pack and being protective of family that draws me to them. The way they protect each other. I like music too. I'm more of a rock guy myself, but I'm willing to listen to anything once, I even tried to listen to this sugary pop song my sister likes, I don't remember the name of it, but it was pretty stupid." I explained.


	9. Chapter 9

I talked for hours at a time, contenting myself with wiping her face with the cold rag and enjoying the twitching smile she offered in her sleep. It was only when the sky lightened with the sun that I put down the rag and began to leave.

"What were you doing in there?" A feminine voice asked suspiciously as I carefully closed the door to Hebony's room. I jumped, startled, before I turned to find Belle frowning at me, her arms crossed. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I opened and closed my mouth like a fish out of water. She raised an eyebrow at me before putting a finger to her lips and motioned for me to follow her. I was quiet and worried as I followed her out onto the porch, wondering what exactly she thought I was doing to her sister while everyone was asleep.

"It's not what you think. I can explain." I stammered as she hoisted herself up onto the railing and watched me with tired eyes. I noticed that dark circles had taken up residence under her electric blue eyes. Her dark chocolate hair was pulled into a messy pony tail, a few wisps falling to frame a tanned face. She raised a slender hand to silence me before she look off into the distance.

"It's always been the four of us you know." She stated in a sigh as she leaned her head against a post. I watched as she fingered a locket that fell just above her rounded chest. I walked over and pulled myself up beside her. She looked at me as if for the first time, judging if I was trustworthy no doubt.

"Bane was the one who brought Hebony to us. He found her running from some cops when she was six years old. I imagine it had to be a strange sight. A little girl running from the cops after having stole food from an old general store. We were living with our guardian at the time, whom, of course, was very suspicious of all humans. It was quite a treat when Hebony walked right up to him and said 'Hello Sir Frowns-Alot, my name is Hebony, I'm living here now." She was such a fierce and carefree spirit. Always sticking up for us whenever anyone said something stupid about us at school and always volunteering around town where she could. When she was thirteen, she 'fell in love' with this boy named Jacoby who was sixteen and reckless. I'll never know what she saw in him." It was here that she paused as if thrown off track by the ridiculousness of the thought of Hebony loving someone like this Jacoby character. I felt an unfamiliar feeling bubble inside of me as she started again.

"He offered to take her to the movies out of kindness he assured us, taking pity on the fact that she adored him. Brian and Bane were suspicious but I talked them into it. I helped Hebony get all dressed up and pretty for her night out and kissed her goodbye when Jacoby came and got her. It wasn't even three hours later when the phone rang. It was Hebony of course, calling from someone's house phone. I remember that I could barely make out anything she was saying over the sound of her crying and the thumping music in the background. She managed to calm down long enough to tell us where she was. We found her at a party off in the woods at some senior's house. The smell of booze and drugs permeated the air. I grabbed the nearest girl I could find and described Hebony to her, down to the new purple shoes she'd bought. "She's in the bathroom with Jacoby. Lucky bitch." The girl grumbled. You can imagine by this time I was frantic. I mean Hebony was only thirteen! I pounded on the bathroom door, Bane and Brian right behind me. "Go away, we're busy!" The voice of Jacoby shouted as the faint sound of crying and a promise that it'll only hurt for a minute reached us. Bane roared in anger and he busted open the door. We found Hebony curled beside the toilet, her arms around herself as mascara ran down her cheeks. I thought Brian and Bane were going to fry him right there on the spot, but they settled for beating the crap out of him. Hebony didn't speak for three weeks after it happened, and until this day, with the exception of Bane and Brian, has a pretty deep distrust of men." Belle finished as she looked at me with searching eyes. I was quiet as I turned this over in my mind. I wasn't sure what exactly it had to do with me and I told Belle so.

"I'm not blind Andrew. I know why you were in that room tonight just as I know you stole Hebony's picture." Belle spoke with a knowing smile. Heat rushed to my cheeks again as I became very interested in my bare feet. I was speechless.

"I'm not angry you know. I can sense the intentions of people, Luxen or human. I know you're not here to do as Jacoby did. I merely told you that story to let you know that you may not have to easiest time in winning her affections." Belle explained before the door was thrown open and Bane rushed out, a huge smile on his face.

"What is it?" Belle asked, her eyes wide with confusion.

"She's awake!" Bane shouted as he rushed over and hugged his sister tightly, Belle squealed with excitement before she rushed into the house, leaving me to stand there and think about what I was told.


End file.
